Olefin sulfonate compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12012547-B2
Application number	US-202017771587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to surfactants (in particular olefin sulfonates), surfactant packages, compositions derived thereof, and uses thereof in hydrocarbon recovery. Methods of making olefin sulfonate surfactants are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surfactant composition comprising water, an olefin sulfonate, and one or more additional components chosen from one or more co-surfactants, wherein the olefin sulfonate is a propylene oligomer comprising one or more sulfonate groups, and wherein the propylene oligomer has an average total branching of about 3 to about 15 per molecule.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more co-surfactants comprise an anionic surfactant.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the anionic surfactant comprises a sulfonate, a disulfonate, a sulfate, a disulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a disulfosuccinate, a carboxylate, a dicarboxylate, or any combination thereof.

4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the anionic surfactant comprises one of the following:
a branched or unbranched C6-C32:PO(0-65):EO(0-100)-carboxylate;
a C8-C30 alkyl benzene sulfonate (ABS);
a sulfosuccinate surfactant;
a surfactant defined by the formula below
R 1 —R 2 —R 3

wherein
R 1 comprises a branched or unbranched, saturated or unsaturated, cyclic or non-cyclic, hydrophobic carbon chain having 6-32 carbon atoms and an oxygen atom linking R 1 and R 2 ;
R 2 comprises an alkoxylated chain comprising at least one oxide group selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and any combination thereof; and
R 3 comprises a branched or unbranched hydrocarbon chain comprising 2-12 carbon atoms and from 2 to 5 carboxylate groups; or
a surfactant defined by the formula below

wherein
R 4 is, individually for each occurrence, a branched or unbranched, saturated or unsaturated, cyclic or non-cyclic, hydrophobic carbon chain having 6-32 carbon atoms; and
M represents a counterion.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more co-surfactants comprise a non-ionic surfactant.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant comprises a branched or unbranched C6-C32:PO(0-65):EO(0-100).

7. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of greater than 10.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more co-surfactants comprise a cationic surfactant.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more co-surfactants comprise a zwitterionic surfactant.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the olefin sulfonate has a concentration within the surfactant composition of from 0.05% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the surfactant composition.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more co-surfactants have a concentration within the surfactant composition of from 0.05% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the surfactant composition.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the water comprises at least 10 ppm at least 100 ppm, at least 500 ppm, at least 1,000 ppm, at least 5,000 ppm, or at least 10,000 ppm of divalent metal ions chosen from Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ba1+, and any combination thereof.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition further comprises a co-solvent, a friction reducer, a gelling agent, a crosslinker, a breaker, a pH adjusting agent, a non-emulsifier agent, an iron control agent, a corrosion inhibitor, a scale inhibitor, a biocide, a clay stabilizing agent, a chelating agent, a proppant, a wettability alteration chemical, or any combination thereof.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition further comprises an acid, such as at least 10% acid by weight based on the total weight of the surfactant composition.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition further comprises a base, such as from 0.5% to 5% base by weight on the total weight of the surfactant composition.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition further comprises a borate-acid buffer.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the borate-acid buffer is present in the surfactant composition in an amount of from 0.01% to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the surfactant composition.

18. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the borate-acid buffer exhibits a capacity to buffer at a pH of from 6.0 to 8.0.

19. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the borate-acid buffer comprises a borate compound and a conjugate base of an acid.

20. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the borate-acid buffer comprises a boric acid and an alkali.

Assignees

• Chevron Usa Inc
• Chevron Oronite Co

Inventors

• Pinnawala Gayani W
• Dwarakanath Varadarajan
• Thomas Andrew M
• Campbell Curtis B
• Davidson Andrew M
• Wang Ping

Classifications

• C09K8/703

  Foams · CPC title

• C09K8/602

  containing surfactants · CPC title

• C09K8/584 Primary

  characterised by the use of specific surfactants · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title